Am I being under paid as a babysitter?

Am I being under paid as a babysitter?
I work for a family Mon-Fri with kids age 11 and 15. Mom makes me drive their kids EVERYWHERE. I live in NYC and they only pay me $12 an hour. No gas/mileage/tear compensation. Average pay in my area is $18 an hour. I’m a 20 year old college student with 3 years paid... show more Am I being under paid as a babysitter?
I work for a family Mon-Fri with kids age 11 and 15. Mom makes me drive their kids EVERYWHERE. I live in NYC and they only pay me $12 an hour. No gas/mileage/tear compensation. Average pay in my area is $18 an hour. I’m a 20 year old college student with 3 years paid experience in babysitting with my own car. Twice a week I only go to their home for an hour and a half making $18 for the day and I have to drive back and forth to their school activities with my OWN car for 20 miles. Would you drive 20 miles for $18 in total? 3 times a week i work 4 hours and also pick them up and drop them off. I make $180 a week. Also, her oldest always slams my door causing tear. (Shes 15) I tried telling her to stop slamming my door but she just rolls her eyes. During the summer i pick them up from summer camp and they completely dirt up my car from their dirty shoes to the point i had to buy $100 seat protectors. I’ve been working with this family for over 2 years and never received a raise. I tried to speak to the mom about it and asked for an extra $30 per week because I also have school expenses and she said it wasn’t her ‘problem’. I could make more money being an uber driver. I have quit twice in the past and she texts me non-stop asking me if i can come back or if i know anybody that could babysit for her. I decided to quit again today and she said she’ll give me a raise of a dollar. $13 an hour after i’ve worked for your girls for 2 years?

Update: I drive around an area in Brooklyn where the traffic is insane and we are sitting in the car for over an hour making me waste more gas. We even have to drive more to look for parking. The 15 year old is turning 16 in March and she just becomes more disrespectful causing damages to my vehicle

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Best Answer: Quit this employer, and start fresh with someone else. Tell them you need to concentrate on your school work, and don't apologize, and don't tell them anything else. when you tell them you are leaving, ask them for a letter of recommendation - NOT just can other people call them for a reference, but an actual letter. *Imagine* that you are going to not be working but studying more, and then moving away so you're not caught offguard when they start asking you to cover if they get in trouble, because they will.

And then look for another job, but not before you look on the online source of babysitters and see what the going rate is for an adult with experience, if that's what you still want to do. Try and stay away from transporting kids, because it's a huge risk- and I'll bet you never added that to your car insurance. Under 25 it may not be allowed, and if you had an accident without telling your car insurance carrier you were transporting kids for money, it might actually negate your insurance coverage! Ask first, before you do it, even for these people- even one more time. You could be risking your entire future already.

Tentofield has given you good information about rates. Don't apologize for asking for that up front, and type it all out, and get a signed agreement. Have someone with legal experience (as in a friendly lawyer, law student at least, or paralegal) to taker a look at your agreement first. But get everything in writing, and keep an original copy with signatures. You may never need it, but you need to HAVE it.

The people you work for now are definitely taking advantage, and they likely know it. I wouldn't bother trying to renegotiate anything. It isn't worth the hassle- especially with that teenager involved. Just go find someone else with a younger child who needs to be looked after in their home, with no rides. You only need one client, and if you demand enough, you shouldn't have to worry about being treated fairly. The ones who pay more are often better to you in general, if you do a good job.

Good luck- remember, you're worth much more than this, and you should demand it, nicely.

You can sign up to work through websites like CARE.com and make $25 to $30 per hour...so YES you are being underpaid.

If you can stand to be out of work for awhile, then look for a child care job that pays $20 per and then tell the family you work for that you need an immediate raise to $20 per or they can consider this a 2 week notice.

AND they have a 15 year old who is perfectly capable of caring for the younger sibs....so yeah...walk out of there.

I doubt you would make more as an uber driver after you have paid all expenses.
If you think your car gets beat up now, imagine how beat up it would be an uber driver.

the mom is correct - you don't get a raise because you have school expenses.
You get a raise because of the job performance you are currently doing. If you had given her concrete reasons for a raise based on your performance and job duties you might have received it.

Your job is SUPER EASY... pick up some teenagers and drive them around in the suburbs (we know you aren't driving around Manhattan).
You can take the $13 and deal with it.
Or you can go get a real job and find out how easy you have it now.

Quit. She's exploiting you and knows she wont get anyone else as cheap as you. If she wants you back, give her your terms in writing for her to agree to which states you have an hourly rate of $20 an hour payable from the time you leave home to the time you return (by the quickest route). You also require payment for using your car which should include part of the registration and insurance as well as petrol and wear and tear. $1.50 to $2 a mile would be fair. If her children damage your car, she is responsible for repairs. If she agrees, fine. If she doesn't you are not losing anything.

If average is 18 and you are being paid 13... well someone has to bring down the average. However you seem to understand you are, so think about it and consider what you are worth and ask for it or quit and take the more compensated Uber job.

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Am I being under paid as a babysitter?

Am I being under paid as a babysitter?
I work for a family Mon-Fri with kids age 11 and 15. Mom makes me drive their kids EVERYWHERE. I live in NYC and they only pay me $12 an hour. No gas/mileage/tear compensation. Average pay in my area is $18 an hour. I’m a 20 year old college student with 3 years paid experience in babysitting with my own car. Twice a week I only go to their home for an hour and a half making $18 for the day and I have to drive back and forth to their school activities with my OWN car for 20 miles. Would you drive 20 miles for $18 in total? 3 times a week i work 4 hours and also pick them up and drop them off. I make $180 a week. Also, her oldest always slams my door causing tear. (Shes 15) I tried telling her to stop slamming my door but she just rolls her eyes. During the summer i pick them up from summer camp and they completely dirt up my car from their dirty shoes to the point i had to buy $100 seat protectors. I’ve been working with this family for over 2 years and never received a raise. I tried to speak to the mom about it and asked for an extra $30 per week because I also have school expenses and she said it wasn’t her ‘problem’. I could make more money being an uber driver. I have quit twice in the past and she texts me non-stop asking me if i can come back or if i know anybody that could babysit for her. I decided to quit again today and she said she’ll give me a raise of a dollar. $13 an hour after i’ve worked for your girls for 2 years?